Various ambitious development strategies, implemented since the 1970s, have brought little hope for the reversal of Africa's developmental malaise. The formulation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) in 2001 and its adoption by the African Union (AU) as the continent's blueprint policy document for development engendered a lot of optimism. This optimism resulted partly from the willingness of African governments to voluntarily undertake what the continent's development partners - the G8 - perceived as 'credible policies' for resuscitating the ailing economies of the continent, and partly from the promise of assistance in the form of accruing ODA (Official Development Assistance) and FDI (Foreign Direct Investment), debt forgiveness and access to Western markets. There is a growing consensus among development experts that the provision of such opportunities would alleviate many of the structural constraints in Africa and, consequently, catalyse long-term development. While NEPAD's emphasis on promoting peace, security, democracy and good governance is commendable, this paper argues that its propensity to gear development solely along neoliberal lines is problematic in a continent that is grappling with the disappointments of the market-based structural adjustment policies of the 1980s and early 1990s. Bibliogr., notes, sum. in English and French. [Journal abstract]